Investigating the contribution of geographical indications (GIs) to sustainable development and optimising support for newly established schemes

The EU is renowned for its high quality food products having specific characteristics or farming attributes that distinguish them in the marketplace, and particularly those labelled under registered geographical indications (GIs). The quality and diversity of the Union's food production is one of its important strengths giving a competitive advantage to its producers and making a major contribution to its living cultural and gastronomic heritage.

Quality schemes can benefit the rural and coastal economy. This is particularly the case in disadvantaged areas, in mountain areas and in the most remote regions where the farming sector already takes a significant part of the economy and production costs are high. They can create value for local communities through products that are deeply rooted in tradition, culture and geography. [[ https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/food-farming-fisheries/key_policies/documents/cap-specific-objectives-brief-3-farmer-position-in-value-chains_en.pdf]]

Building on the state-of-the-art in particular, but not limited to, on results of the Strength2Food project[[ https://www.strength2food.eu/]], the proposals are expected to focus on GIs schemes.

Proposals are expected to:

• Provide a sound analysis of the state-of the art in research on the impacts of GIs schemes in terms of all aspects of sustainability;
• Assess sustainability impacts of all GIs products (>3000) in all three dimensions, i.e. economic, social and environmental (including use of natural resources, cultural heritage preservation, public health);
• Comprehensively map the practices in GIs production systems and identify those that minimise the negative environmental and social impacts and at the same time balance the economic dimension of sustainability;
• Investigate how to better valorise the sustainable deliverables of GIs, including the type and characteristics of public goods generated by the GI production and the benefits for local areas and society at large;
• Identify synergies among different intervention schemes in order to increase the participation of farmers and fishermen;
• Explore consumers’ perception of GIs, including the demand for valorising GIs as qualifier of shorter food supply chain, and how to better promote GIs that are aligned with healthy and sustainable diets to increase demand and willingness to pay for GI products.
• Explore and benchmark the approaches/policy followed by the different Member States and Associated Countries when it comes to GIs and sustainability;
• Formulate best practices, decision tools, recommendations to be used by producers and policy makers to improve sustainability of the GIs schemes and optimise the support for newly established GI schemes that are aligned with healthy and sustainable diets;

An adequate representation of consumers’ interests by bodies that are knowledgeable of policy issues involved needs to be ensured, at least for those aspects of the project that involve consumers, consumers’ information and perception.